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Increased legal protection needed as attacks against business & defenders mount in 2020; cos. respond
The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre has tracked 604 attacks against HRDs focused on business-related activities in 2020. Our annual briefing on the situation of HRDs, demonstrates an increase in attacks against HRDs during 2020 demands a legal solution. The global community has an unprecedented opportunity to rebuild in a way that prioritises environmental protection, human rights, and long-term sustainability, including the safety of the very people devising and championing rights-respecting solutions. Mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence in the EU is a key opportunity to ensure that European companies respect human rights and prevent attacks on HRDs throughout their operations, supply chains, and investments.
In the line of fire: Increased legal protection needed as attacks against business & human rights defenders mount in 2020
2020 was marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the significant harm to health and livelihoods it has caused across the globe. Instead of serving as a rallying cry to better protect those worst affected, the economic fallout of the global health crisis was cited by many countries and companies as a reason to weaken environmental and social regulation and increase extractive projects. This resulted in even more attacks on communities and human rights defenders (HRDs).